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Nestucca Fire – Building Strength, Skills, and Community Readiness

Posted on October 6, 2025October 6, 2025 by Editor
The Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District (NRFPD) protects a primary response area of 125 square miles but routinely responds across more than 300 square miles of South Tillamook County. With six fire stations and over 60 members, including career, resident, and volunteer firefighters, as well as CERT members, NRFPD is a strong, resilient, and highly trained organization dedicated to protecting lives and property.
Our district covers rugged coastal terrain, rivers, bays, mountains, and highways. These challenges require firefighters to maintain a high level of readiness in fire suppression, rescue operations, and emergency medical response. Every day, our members demonstrate their dedication to this mission through calls for service, community engagement, and continuous training.

Golden Hour and the Need for Rapid Response
The concept of the “Golden Hour” is well-known in emergency medicine. It refers to the critical first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury, during which rapid stabilization and transport to definitive care offer the best chance of survival. While the exact 60-minute timeframe is not an absolute rule, the principle remains clear: speed saves lives.
For our rural community — often more than 30 minutes from the nearest hospital — NRFPD’s ability to provide advanced care and technical rescues in the field is essential. This is why we invest so heavily in training, equipment, and specialized certifications.
Rescue & Medical Advancements
  • Vehicle Extrication Grant:  NRFPD recently secured an Oregon State Parks ATV Grant for new extrication equipment to support rescue operations in the Sandlake area. This equipment allows our firefighters to remove trapped patients faster and more safely, ensuring timely medical care in critical trauma cases.
    Our crews include State-certified NFPA Common Passenger Vehicle Rescue Technicians and Heavy Vehicle Rescue Technicians. At Hebo Station 87, training vehicles are regularly used for extrication drills, allowing us to perform live rescues in the field in as little as five minutes. This readiness saves lives when seconds matter.
  • EMS Service: NRFPD responds to all medical calls alongside Tillamook Adventist Health Ambulance. With over 35 EMT-certified members, our department brings vital care directly to patients. This month, we proudly celebrated one of our career firefighters earning Advanced EMT certification, expanding the advanced treatments we can provide before hospital care is available. For a rural community, these advanced skills bridge the critical gap in the Golden Hour.

Specialized Technical Rescue Training
  • Rope Rescue: NRFPD firefighters face unique hazards — cliffs, steep terrain, and coastal bluffs. To meet these challenges, all career firefighters and several volunteers are trained and/or state-certified in Technical Rope Rescue. Just last week, crews conducted rope training in the Neskowin area to refine these specialized skills.
  • Water Rescue: Our members are certified in NFPA Surface Water Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, and Floodwater Rescue. Monthly training in rivers, bays, and lakes ensures our firefighters are prepared for emergencies on both calm and fast-moving water. This makes NRFPD one of the most versatile rural fire districts in the state of Oregon.

Community Engagement & Preparedness
  • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): Our second South County CERT Academy (Class 25-02) is underway. CERT members are trained in FEMA-sponsored disaster preparedness and response skills, providing extra support during natural disasters and large-scale emergencies. With 22 active CERT members, residents can expect to see these volunteers assisting at major calls and community events.
  • Seismic Rehabilitation Grant: NRFPD has been awarded nearly $2.5 million through the State of Oregon Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program (SRGP) to retrofit Sandlake Station #85. This project, beginning in 2026, will improve our ability to respond following an earthquake while maintaining full operations throughout construction.
  • First Due & Community Connect: This year, NRFPD launched First Due, a cloud-based platform for fire and EMS operations. Alongside this rollout, we introduced First Due Community Connect, a free online portal where residents and businesses can provide critical life-safety information directly to first responders.
    Through Community Connect, households can share details such as family members with functional needs, emergency contacts, medical equipment, and property hazards. During emergencies, this information is immediately available to responders, helping us deliver faster, safer, and more effective service.
    Residents can register at: https://www.communityconnect.io/info/or-nestucca.
Training & Professional Development
NRFPD conducts over 500 hours of training classes annually. To coordinate this level of instruction for more than 60 members, the district employs a dedicated Division Chief of Training. Our firefighters complete an average of 200–300 hours per year in certified classes and drills.
Annual skills evaluations, currently underway, include:
  • Masking up quickly with SCBAs.
  • Hydrant connections for a reliable water supply.
  • Deploying preconnected hose lines for rapid fire attack.
  • Single-person 24’ ladder deployment.
  • Coordinated search and fire attack in low visibility.
  • Rope, water, and extrication skills testing.
These evaluations ensure that every firefighter — including chiefs — maintains proficiency, fitness, and certification. Chiefs train and test alongside the crews, reinforcing a culture of accountability and shared strength.
Beyond in-house training, we encourage members to pursue higher education and outside training, ensuring that NRFPD continues to grow in skill, knowledge, and service capacity. Training together and sharing knowledge builds resilience not only within the fire district but across the entire community.
Commitment to Service
Through training, community partnerships, grants, and innovation, the Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District is building a stronger, safer South Tillamook County. Every call answered, every skill mastered, and every community member trained represents a step forward in protecting lives and property.
We remain committed to our mission: to protect our community with professionalism, compassion, and readiness.
Community Awareness & Public Information
This month, NRFPD is proud to stand in solidarity with those affected by breast cancer. Throughout October, you may see our firefighters wearing pink shirts, pink ribbon pins, pink-striped bracelets, or carrying pink pens as a visible sign of support. The fire service has a long tradition of honoring causes that impact the lives of our members, families, and communities. Breast cancer awareness reminds us that just like in the fire service, early detection, prevention, and support can make all the difference in saving lives.
In addition, the countywide burn ban for Tillamook County was officially lifted on October 1. While outdoor burning is once again permitted, NRFPD encourages residents to burn responsibly, follow all guidelines, and practice fire safety at all times. Even outside of fire season, a small fire can spread rapidly if not properly managed.

For more information:

Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District
30710 HWY 101 S
Cloverdale, OR 97112
503-392-3313
Website: https://www.nrfpdor.gov/
Community Conect: https://www.communityconnect.io/info/or-nestucca

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